A NEW nursery school focused on outdoor learning has opened in Rake.

Set up by friends Frances Horgan and Natalie Gafford, Wigwam Forest and Montessori School is a kindergarten for three to five year olds based at Rake Primary School.

Natalie and Frances met through their own children and soon discovered they shared the same passion for early years and the benefits of learning outside.

They felt that there was a lack of small, nurturing nursery schools focusing on outdoor play in the area.

Frances and Natalie decided to take matters into their own hands and set up an alternative which tackles these concerns head on.

Natalie said: “Being outdoors in natural light and fresh air allows us to use all our senses to engage in the world around us; we listen, we see, we feel, we smell – and this gives us so many more ways to remember, learn and develop.

“Being outside, children are able to move around without restriction, and opportunities to practise and master gross and fine motor skills are unlimited.

“Imaginative play is purely reliant on a child’s own creativity rather than proscribed by equipment and resources.

“Children are also given the opportunity to take appropriate risks in a forest school environment which helps develop resilience, persistence and in turn builds confidence and self-esteem.”

Frances added: “Professor Montessori recognised that all children are at first ‘kinaesthetic’ learners.

“Children learn by doing and that verbal communication may be an effective tool for learning only in later life.

“Wigwam Forest and Montessori School highly values Professor Montessori’s teachings and recognises that physical movement is the most valuable tool for early learning.

“This translates well into our forest school ethos and exploration in woodland environments.

“During classroom activities we provide a range of Montessori equipment, resources and methods.

“This includes taking the child-centred approach to learning, where children are regarded as active and capable learners and we, as teachers, act as facilitators.

“We provide a prepared environment and developmentally appropriate equipment and offer guidance where necessary, but allow the child to follow their interests. If a child is interested, they are more likely to engage and in turn, learn and develop.”